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# Scanners Typical input devices Scanners use laser beams and reflected light to translate drawings, photos and even text into digital form. These images can then be processed by a computer, displayed on a monitor, stored on a storage device or communicated to another computer. There are many types...

# Scanners Typical input devices Scanners use laser beams and reflected light to translate drawings, photos and even text into digital form. These images can then be processed by a computer, displayed on a monitor, stored on a storage device or communicated to another computer. There are many types of scanners, for example: * **Flat-bed scanner:** The picture is placed on a flat scanning surface and the image is captured, similarly to how a photocopying machine works. Household versions of flatbed scanners are inexpensive, costing less than 100 United States (US) dollars. * **Hand-held scanner:** This scanner performs the same tasks as that of a flatbed scanner. It is used to scan physical documents into their digital forms that can be stored, edited, transferred and emailed digitally. The quality of the image provided by this scanner is poor, but it is useful for quick data capture. They can be used in various settings including retail, warehouse and distribution centres. * **Drum scanner:** These are normally used in the publishing industry (magazines, books) to capture images with high detail. These scanners tend to be expensive, costing perhaps thousands of US dollars. * **Sheet-fed scanner:** The sheet that contains the image is fed through rollers and the picture is scanned as the paper passes through. Figure 2.10 A flatbed scanner. The image shows a hand placing a piece of paper onto a flatbed scanner.